ABSTRACT
Objective To evaluate pulmonary hypertension(PH) and surgical therapeutic effects using radionuclide pulmonary perfusion imaging in patients of valvular heart disease. Methods And material 115 patients accumulated with valvular disease were included from May 2001 to August 2007. Echocardiography and first-pass radionuclide pulmonary perfusion imaging(FPPPI) were performed in all patients before surgery,7days after surgery and 3 months after surgery(33cases). Patients were divided into four groups. Pulmonary artery pressure (PAP) is normal group[mean pulmonary arterial pressure (MPAP)≤20mm Hg(1 mm Hg =0. 133 kPa)]; PAP slightly rise group[20 mm Hg < MPAP≤30 mm Hg]; PAP moderate rise group[30 mm Hg < MPAP≤50 mm Hg]; PAP weighty rise group[MPAP >50 mm Hg]. Results Lung Equilibrium Time (LET)by FPPPI were(18.87 ± 4.80) s, (26. 17 ± 7.09) s, (38.48 ± 7.09) s and (54.59 ± 7.96) s in this four groups before surgery. LET were 17.58 ±4.52, 21.51 ±6.44, 23.94 ±5.85, 27.29 ±6.70 in this four groups 7 days after surgery (P<0.001). There were no siguificantly differences of LET in 33 cases 3 months after surgery compared with those of 7 days after surgery. Conclusion Pulmonary arterial pressure siguificantly decreased 7 days after surgery in patients with PH of valvular heart disease, especially in those of slightly and moderate rise groups. FPPPI is an accuracy method in evaluating surgical therapeutic effects in valvular heart disease.